第8章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"The Man Who Was Thursday",免费读到尾

  \"Idon’tthinkofSundayonprinciple,\"saidGogolsimply,\"anymorethanIstareatthesunatnoonday。\"

  \"Well,thatisapointofview,\"saidSymethoughtfully。\"Whatdoyousay,Professor?\"

  TheProfessorwaswalkingwithbentheadandtrailingstick,andhedidnotansweratall。

  \"Wakeup,Professor!\"saidSymegenially。\"TelluswhatyouthinkofSunday。\"

  TheProfessorspokeatlastveryslowly。

  \"Ithinksomething,\"hesaid,\"thatIcannotsayclearly。Or,rather,IthinksomethingthatIcannoteventhinkclearly。Butitissomethinglikethis。Myearlylife,asyouknow,wasabittoolargeandloose。

  Well,whenIsawSunday’sfaceIthoughtitwastoolarge——

  everybodydoes,butIalsothoughtitwastooloose。Thefacewassobig,thatonecouldn’tfocusitormakeitafaceatall。

  Theeyewassofarawayfromthenose,thatitwasn’taneye。

  Themouthwassomuchbyitself,thatonehadtothinkofitbyitself。Thewholethingistoohardtoexplain。\"

  Hepausedforalittle,stilltrailinghisstick,andthenwenton——

  \"Butputitthisway。Walkinguparoadatnight,Ihaveseenalampandalightedwindowandacloudmaketogetheramostcompleteandunmistakableface。IfanyoneinheavenhasthatfaceIshallknowhimagain。YetwhenIwalkedalittlefartherIfoundthattherewasnoface,thatthewindowwastenyardsaway,thelamptenhundredyards,thecloudbeyondtheworld。Well,Sunday’sfaceescapedme;itranawaytorightandleft,assuchchancepicturesrunaway。Andsohisfacehasmademe,somehow,doubtwhetherthereareanyfaces。Idon’tknowwhetheryourface,Bull,isafaceoracombinationinperspective。Perhapsoneblackdiscofyourbeastlyglassesisquitecloseandanotherfiftymilesaway。Oh,thedoubtsofamaterialistarenotworthadump。Sundayhastaughtmethelastandtheworstdoubts,thedoubtsofaspiritualist。IamaBuddhist,Isuppose;andBuddhismisnotacreed,itisadoubt。MypoordearBull,Idonotbelievethatyoureallyhaveaface。I

  havenotfaithenoughtobelieveinmatter。\"

  Syme’seyeswerestillfixedupontheerrantorb,which,reddenedintheeveninglight,lookedlikesomerosierandmoreinnocentworld。

  \"Haveyounoticedanoddthing,\"hesaid,\"aboutallyourdescriptions?EachmanofyoufindsSundayquitedifferent,yeteachmanofyoucanonlyfindonethingtocomparehimto——theuniverseitself。Bullfindshimliketheearthinspring,Gogollikethesunatnoonday。TheSecretaryisremindedoftheshapelessprotoplasm,andtheInspectorofthecarelessnessofvirginforests。TheProfessorsaysheislikeachanginglandscape。Thisisqueer,butitisqueererstillthatIalsohavehadmyoddnotionaboutthePresident,andIalsofindthatIthinkofSundayasIthinkofthewholeworld。\"

  \"Getonalittlefaster,Syme,\"saidBull;\"nevermindtheballoon。\"

  \"WhenIfirstsawSunday,\"saidSymeslowly,\"Ionlysawhisback;

  andwhenIsawhisback,Iknewhewastheworstmanintheworld。

  Hisneckandshoulderswerebrutal,likethoseofsomeapishgod。

  Hisheadhadastoopthatwashardlyhuman,likethestoopofanox。Infact,Ihadatoncetherevoltingfancythatthiswasnotamanatall,butabeastdressedupinmen’sclothes。\"

  \"Geton,\"saidDr。Bull。

  \"Andthenthequeerthinghappened。Ihadseenhisbackfromthestreet,ashesatinthebalcony。ThenIenteredthehotel,andcomingroundtheothersideofhim,sawhisfaceinthesunlight。

  Hisfacefrightenedme,asitdideveryone;butnotbecauseitwasbrutal,notbecauseitwasevil。Onthecontrary,itfrightenedmebecauseitwassobeautiful,becauseitwassogood。\"

  \"Syme,\"exclaimedtheSecretary,\"areyouill?\"

  \"Itwaslikethefaceofsomeancientarchangel,judgingjustlyafterheroicwars。Therewaslaughterintheeyes,andinthemouthhonourandsorrow。Therewasthesamewhitehair,thesamegreat,grey—cladshouldersthatIhadseenfrombehind。ButwhenIsawhimfrombehindIwascertainhewasananimal,andwhenIsawhiminfrontIknewhewasagod。\"

  \"Pan,\"saidtheProfessordreamily,\"wasagodandananimal。\"

  \"Then,andagainandalways,\"wentonSymelikeamantalkingtohimself,\"thathasbeenformethemysteryofSunday,anditisalsothemysteryoftheworld。WhenIseethehorribleback,Iamsurethenoblefaceisbutamask。WhenIseethefacebutforaninstant,Iknowthebackisonlyajest。Badissobad,thatwecannotbutthinkgoodanaccident;goodissogood,thatwefeelcertainthatevilcouldbeexplained。ButthewholecametoakindofcrestyesterdaywhenIracedSundayforthecab,andwasjustbehindhimalltheway。\"

  \"Hadyoutimeforthinkingthen?\"askedRatcliffe。

  \"Time,\"repliedSyme,\"foroneoutrageousthought。Iwassuddenlypossessedwiththeideathattheblind,blankbackofhisheadreallywashisface——anawful,eyelessfacestaringatme!AndI

  fanciedthatthefigurerunninginfrontofmewasreallyafigurerunningbackwards,anddancingasheran。\"

  \"Horrible!\"saidDr。Bull,andshuddered。

  \"Horribleisnottheword,\"saidSyme。\"Itwasexactlytheworstinstantofmylife。Andyettenminutesafterwards,whenheputhisheadoutofthecabandmadeagrimacelikeagargoyle,Iknewthathewasonlylikeafatherplayinghide—and—seekwithhischildren。\"

  \"Itisalonggame,\"saidtheSecretary,andfrownedathisbrokenboots。

  \"Listentome,\"criedSymewithextraordinaryemphasis。\"ShallI

  tellyouthesecretofthewholeworld?Itisthatwehaveonlyknownthebackoftheworld。Weseeeverythingfrombehind,anditlooksbrutal。Thatisnotatree,butthebackofatree。Thatisnotacloud,butthebackofacloud。Cannotyouseethateverythingisstoopingandhidingaface?Ifwecouldonlygetroundinfront——\"

  \"Look!\"criedoutBullclamorously,\"theballooniscomingdown!\"

  TherewasnoneedtocryouttoSyme,whohadnevertakenhiseyesoffit。Hesawthegreatluminousglobesuddenlystaggerinthesky,rightitself,andthensinkslowlybehindthetreeslikeasettingsun。

  ThemancalledGogol,whohadhardlyspokenthroughalltheirwearytravels,suddenlythrewuphishandslikealostspirit。

  \"Heisdead!\"hecried。\"AndnowIknowhewasmyfriend——myfriendinthedark!\"

  \"Dead!\"snortedtheSecretary。\"Youwillnotfindhimdeadeasily。

  Ifhehasbeentippedoutofthecar,weshallfindhimrollingasacoltrollsinafield,kickinghislegsforfun。\"

  \"Clashinghishoofs,\"saidtheProfessor。\"Thecoltsdo,andsodidPan。\"

  \"Panagain!\"saidDr。Bullirritably。\"YouseemtothinkPaniseverything。\"

  \"Soheis,\"saidtheProfessor,\"inGreek。Hemeanseverything。\"

  \"Don’tforget,\"saidtheSecretary,lookingdown,\"thathealsomeansPanic。\"

  Symehadstoodwithouthearinganyoftheexclamations。

  \"Itfelloverthere,\"hesaidshortly。\"Letusfollowit!\"

  Thenheaddedwithanindescribablegesture——

  \"Oh,ifhehascheatedusallbygettingkilled!Itwouldbelikeoneofhislarks。\"

  Hestrodeofftowardsthedistanttreeswithanewenergy,hisragsandribbonsflutteringinthewind。Theothersfollowedhiminamorefootsoreanddubiousmanner。Andalmostatthesamemomentallsixmenrealisedthattheywerenotaloneinthelittlefield。

  Acrossthesquareofturfatallmanwasadvancingtowardsthem,leaningonastrangelongstafflikeasceptre。Hewascladinafinebutold—fashionedsuitwithknee—breeches;itscolourwasthatshadebetweenblue,violetandgreywhichcanbeseenincertainshadowsofthewoodland。Hishairwaswhitishgrey,andatthefirstglance,takenalongwithhisknee—breeches,lookedasifitwaspowdered。Hisadvancewasveryquiet;butforthesilverfrostuponhishead,hemighthavebeenonetotheshadowsofthewood。

  \"Gentlemen,\"hesaid,\"mymasterhasacarriagewaitingforyouintheroadjustby。\"

  \"Whoisyourmaster?\"askedSyme,standingquitestill。

  \"Iwastoldyouknewhisname,\"saidthemanrespectfully。

  Therewasasilence,andthentheSecretarysaid——

  \"Whereisthiscarriage?\"

  \"Ithasbeenwaitingonlyafewmoments,\"saidthestranger。\"Mymasterhasonlyjustcomehome。\"

  Symelookedleftandrightuponthepatchofgreenfieldinwhichhefoundhimself。Thehedgeswereordinaryhedges,thetreesseemedordinarytrees;yethefeltlikeamanentrappedinfairyland。

  Helookedthemysteriousambassadorupanddown,buthecoulddiscovernothingexceptthattheman’scoatwastheexactcolourofthepurpleshadows,andthattheman’sfacewastheexactcolouroftheredandbrownandgoldensky。

  \"Showustheplace,\"Symesaidbriefly,andwithoutawordthemaninthevioletcoatturnedhisbackandwalkedtowardsagapinthehedge,whichletinsuddenlythelightofawhiteroad。

  Asthesixwanderersbrokeoutuponthisthoroughfare,theysawthewhiteroadblockedbywhatlookedlikealongrowofcarriages,sucharowofcarriagesasmightclosetheapproachtosomehouseinParkLane。Alongthesideofthesecarriagesstoodarankofsplendidservants,alldressedinthegrey—blueuniform,andallhavingacertainqualityofstatelinessandfreedomwhichwouldnotcommonlybelongtotheservantsofagentleman,butrathertotheofficialsandambassadorsofagreatking。Therewerenolessthansixcarriageswaiting,oneforeachofthetatteredandmiserableband。Alltheattendants(asifincourt—dress)woreswords,andaseachmancrawledintohiscarriagetheydrewthem,andsalutedwithasuddenblazeofsteel。

  \"Whatcanitallmean?\"askedBullofSymeastheyseparated。\"IsthisanotherjokeofSunday’s?\"

  \"Idon’tknow,\"saidSymeashesankwearilybackinthecushionsofhiscarriage;\"butifitis,it’soneofthejokesyoutalkabout。It’sagood—naturedone。\"

  Thesixadventurershadpassedthroughmanyadventures,butnotonehadcarriedthemsoutterlyofftheirfeetasthislastadventureofcomfort。Theyhadallbecomeinuredtothingsgoingroughly;butthingssuddenlygoingsmoothlyswampedthem。Theycouldnotevenfeeblyimaginewhatthecarriageswere;itwasenoughforthemtoknowthattheywerecarriages,andcarriageswithcushions。Theycouldnotconceivewhotheoldmanwaswhohadledthem;butitwasquiteenoughthathehadcertainlyledthemtothecarriages。

  Symedrovethroughadriftingdarknessoftreesinutterabandonment。Itwastypicalofhimthatwhilehehadcarriedhisbeardedchinforwardfiercelysolongasanythingcouldbedone,whenthewholebusinesswastakenoutofhishandshefellbackonthecushionsinafrankcollapse。

  Verygraduallyandveryvaguelyherealisedintowhatrichroadsthecarriagewascarryinghim。Hesawthattheypassedthestonegatesofwhatmighthavebeenapark,thattheybegangraduallytoclimbahillwhich,whilewoodedonbothsides,wassomewhatmoreorderlythanaforest。Thentherebegantogrowuponhim,asuponamanslowlywakingfromahealthysleep,apleasureineverything。

  Hefeltthatthehedgeswerewhathedgesshouldbe,livingwalls;

  thatahedgeislikeahumanarmy,disciplined,butallthemorealive。Hesawhighelmsbehindthehedges,andvaguelythoughthowhappyboyswouldbeclimbingthere。Thenhiscarriagetookaturnofthepath,andhesawsuddenlyandquietly,likealong,low,sunsetcloud,along,lowhouse,mellowinthemildlightofsunset。Allthesixfriendscomparednotesafterwardsandquarrelled;buttheyallagreedthatinsomeunaccountablewaytheplaceremindedthemoftheirboyhood。Itwaseitherthiselm—toporthatcrookedpath,itwaseitherthisscrapoforchardorthatshapeofawindow;buteachmanofthemdeclaredthathecouldrememberthisplacebeforehecouldrememberhismother。

  Whenthecarriageseventuallyrolleduptoalarge,low,cavernousgateway,anothermaninthesameuniform,butwearingasilverstaronthegreybreastofhiscoat,cameouttomeetthem。ThisimpressivepersonsaidtothebewilderedSyme——

  \"Refreshmentsareprovidedforyouinyourroom。\"

  Syme,undertheinfluenceofthesamemesmericsleepofamazement,wentupthelargeoakenstairsaftertherespectfulattendant。Heenteredasplendidsuiteofapartmentsthatseemedtobedesignedspeciallyforhim。Hewalkeduptoalongmirrorwiththeordinaryinstinctofhisclass,topullhistiestraightortosmoothhishair;andtherehesawthefrightfulfigurethathewas——bloodrunningdownhisfacefromwheretheboughhadstruckhim,hishairstandingoutlikeyellowragsofrankgrass,hisclothestornintolong,waveringtatters。Atoncethewholeenigmasprangup,simplyasthequestionofhowhehadgotthere,andhowhewastogetoutagain。Exactlyatthesamemomentamaninblue,whohadbeenappointedashisvalet,saidverysolemnly——

  \"Ihaveputoutyourclothes,sir。\"

  \"Clothes!\"saidSymesardonically。\"Ihavenoclothesexceptthese,\"andheliftedtwolongstripsofhisfrock—coatinfascinatingfestoons,andmadeamovementasiftotwirllikeaballetgirl。

  \"Mymasterasksmetosay,\"saidtheattendant,thatthereisafancydressballtonight,andthathedesiresyoutoputonthecostumethatIhavelaidout。Meanwhile,sir,thereisabottleofBurgundyandsomecoldpheasant,whichhehopesyouwillnotrefuse,asitissomehoursbeforesupper。\"

  \"Coldpheasantisagoodthing,\"saidSymereflectively,\"andBurgundyisaspankinggoodthing。ButreallyIdonotwanteitherofthemsomuchasIwanttoknowwhatthedevilallthismeans,andwhatsortofcostumeyouhavegotlaidoutforme。Whereisit?\"

  Theservantliftedoffakindofottomanalongpeacock—bluedrapery,ratherofthenatureofadomino,onthefrontofwhichwasemblazonedalargegoldensun,andwhichwassplashedhereandtherewithflamingstarsandcrescents。

  \"You’retobedressedasThursday,sir,\"saidthevaletsomewhataffably。

  \"DressedasThursday!\"saidSymeinmeditation。\"Itdoesn’tsoundawarmcostume。\"

  \"Oh,yes,sir,\"saidtheothereagerly,\"theThursdaycostumeisquitewarm,sir。Itfastensuptothechin。\"

  \"Well,Idon’tunderstandanything,\"saidSyme,sighing。\"Ihavebeenusedsolongtouncomfortableadventuresthatcomfortableadventuresknockmeout。Still,ImaybeallowedtoaskwhyI

  shouldbeparticularlylikeThursdayinagreenfrockspottedalloverwiththesunandmoon。Thoseorbs,Ithink,shineonotherdays。IoncesawthemoononTuesday,Iremember。\"

  \"Begpardon,sir,\"saidthevalet,\"Biblealsoprovidedforyou,\"

  andwitharespectfulandrigidfingerhepointedoutapassageinthefirstchapterofGenesis。Symereaditwondering。Itwasthatinwhichthefourthdayoftheweekisassociatedwiththecreationofthesunandmoon。Here,however,theyreckonedfromaChristianSunday。

  \"Thisisgettingwilderandwilder,\"saidSyme,ashesatdowninachair。\"WhoarethesepeoplewhoprovidecoldpheasantandBurgundy,andgreenclothesandBibles?Dotheyprovideeverything?\"

  \"Yes,sir,everything,\"saidtheattendantgravely。\"ShallIhelpyouonwithyourcostume?\"

  \"Oh,hitchtheballythingon!\"saidSymeimpatiently。

  Butthoughheaffectedtodespisethemummery,hefeltacuriousfreedomandnaturalnessinhismovementsastheblueandgoldgarmentfellabouthim;andwhenhefoundthathehadtowearasword,itstirredaboyishdream。Ashepassedoutoftheroomheflungthefoldsacrosshisshoulderwithagesture,hisswordstoodoutatanangle,andhehadalltheswaggerofatroubadour。

  Forthesedisguisesdidnotdisguise,butreveal。

  CHAPTERXV

  THEACCUSER

  ASSymestrodealongthecorridorhesawtheSecretarystandingatthetopofagreatflightofstairs。Themanhadneverlookedsonoble。Hewasdrapedinalongrobeofstarlessblack,downthecentreofwhichfellabandorbroadstripeofpurewhite,likeasingleshaftoflight。Thewholelookedlikesomeverysevereecclesiasticalvestment。TherewasnoneedforSymetosearchhismemoryortheBibleinordertorememberthatthefirstdayofcreationmarkedthemerecreationoflightoutofdarkness。Thevestmentitselfwouldalonehavesuggestedthesymbol;andSymefeltalsohowperfectlythispatternofpurewhiteandblackexpressedthesoulofthepaleandaustereSecretary,withhisinhumanveracityandhiscoldfrenzy,whichmadehimsoeasilymakewarontheanarchists,andyetsoeasilypassforoneofthem。Symewasscarcelysurprisedtonoticethat,amidalltheeaseandhospitalityoftheirnewsurroundings,thisman’seyeswerestillstern。NosmellofaleororchardscouldmaketheSecretaryceasetoaskareasonablequestion。

  IfSymehadbeenabletoseehimself,hewouldhaverealisedthathe,too,seemedtobeforthefirsttimehimselfandnooneelse。

  ForiftheSecretarystoodforthatphilosopherwholovestheoriginalandformlesslight,Symewasatypeofthepoetwhoseeksalwaystomakethelightinspecialshapes,tosplititupintosunandstar。Thephilosophermaysometimeslovetheinfinite;thepoetalwayslovesthefinite。Forhimthegreatmomentisnotthecreationoflight,butthecreationofthesunandmoon。

  AstheydescendedthebroadstairstogethertheyovertookRatcliffe,whowascladinspringgreenlikeahuntsman,andthepatternuponwhosegarmentwasagreentangleoftrees。Forhestoodforthatthirddayonwhichtheearthandgreenthingsweremade,andhissquare,sensibleface,withitsnotunfriendlycynicism,seemedappropriateenoughtoit。

  TheywereledoutofanotherbroadandlowgatewayintoaverylargeoldEnglishgarden,fulloftorchesandbonfires,bythebrokenlightofwhichavastcarnivalofpeopleweredancinginmotleydress。SymeseemedtoseeeveryshapeinNatureimitatedinsomecrazycostume。Therewasamandressedasawindmillwithenormoussails,amandressedasanelephant,amandressedasaballoon;thetwolast,together,seemedtokeepthethreadoftheirfarcicaladventures。Symeevensaw,withaqueerthrill,onedancerdressedlikeanenormoushornbill,withabeaktwiceasbigashimself——thequeerbirdwhichhadfixeditselfonhisfancylikealivingquestionwhilehewasrushingdownthelongroadattheZoologicalGardens。Therewereathousandothersuchobjects,however。Therewasadancinglamp—post,adancingappletree,adancingship。Onewouldhavethoughtthattheuntamabletuneofsomemadmusicianhadsetallthecommonobjectsoffieldandstreetdancinganeternaljig。Andlongafterwards,whenSymewasmiddle—agedandatrest,hecouldneverseeoneofthoseparticularobjects——alamppost,oranappletree,orawindmill——

  withoutthinkingthatitwasastrayedrevellerfromthatrevelofmasquerade。

  Ononesideofthislawn,alivewithdancers,wasasortofgreenbank,liketheterraceinsuchold—fashionedgardens。

  Alongthis,inakindofcrescent,stoodsevengreatchairs,thethronesofthesevendays。GogolandDr。Bullwerealreadyintheirseats;theProfessorwasjustmountingtohis。Gogol,orTuesday,hadhissimplicitywellsymbolisedbyadressdesigneduponthedivisionofthewaters,adressthatseparateduponhisforeheadandfelltohisfeet,greyandsilver,likeasheetofrain。TheProfessor,whosedaywasthatonwhichthebirdsandfishes——theruderformsoflife——werecreated,hadadressofdimpurple,overwhichsprawledgoggle—eyedfishesandoutrageoustropicalbirds,theunioninhimofunfathomablefancyandofdoubt。Dr。Bull,thelastdayofCreation,woreacoatcoveredwithheraldicanimalsinredandgold,andonhiscrestamanrampant。Helaybackinhischairwithabroadsmile,thepictureofanoptimistinhiselement。

  Onebyonethewanderersascendedthebankandsatintheirstrangeseats。Aseachofthemsatdownaroarofenthusiasmrosefromthecarnival,suchasthatwithwhichcrowdsreceivekings。

  Cupswereclashedandtorchesshaken,andfeatheredhatsflungintheair。Themenforwhomthesethroneswerereservedweremencrownedwithsomeextraordinarylaurels。Butthecentralchairwasempty。

  SymewasonthelefthandofitandtheSecretaryontheright。

  TheSecretarylookedacrosstheemptythroneatSyme,andsaid,compressinghislips——

  \"Wedonotknowyetthatheisnotdeadinafield。\"

  AlmostasSymeheardthewords,hesawontheseaofhumanfacesinfrontofhimafrightfulandbeautifulalteration,asifheavenhadopenedbehindhishead。ButSundayhadonlypassedsilentlyalongthefrontlikeashadow,andhadsatinthecentralseat。Hewasdrapedplainly,inapureandterriblewhite,andhishairwaslikeasilverflameonhisforehead。

  Foralongtime——itseemedforhours——thathugemasqueradeofmankindswayedandstampedinfrontofthemtomarchingandexultantmusic。Everycoupledancingseemedaseparateromance;

  itmightbeafairydancingwithapillar—box,orapeasantgirldancingwiththemoon;butineachcaseitwas,somehow,asabsurdasAliceinWonderland,yetasgraveandkindasalovestory。Atlast,however,thethickcrowdbegantothinitself。

  Couplesstrolledawayintothegarden—walks,orbegantodrifttowardsthatendofthebuildingwherestoodsmoking,inhugepotslikefish—kettles,somehotandscentedmixturesofoldaleorwine。Aboveallthese,uponasortofblackframeworkontheroofofthehouse,roaredinitsironbasketagiganticbonfire,whichlitupthelandformiles。Itflungthehomelyeffectoffirelightoverthefaceofvastforestsofgreyorbrown,anditseemedtofillwithwarmtheventheemptinessofuppernight。

  Yetthisalso,afteratime,wasallowedtogrowfainter;thedimgroupsgatheredmoreandmoreroundthegreatcauldrons,orpassed,laughingandclattering,intotheinnerpassagesofthatancienthouse。Soontherewereonlysometenloiterersinthegarden;soononlyfour。Finallythelaststraymerry—makerranintothehousewhoopingtohiscompanions。Thefirefaded,andtheslow,strongstarscameout。Andthesevenstrangemenwereleftalone,likesevenstonestatuesontheirchairsofstone。

  Notoneofthemhadspokenaword。

  Theyseemedinnohastetodoso,butheardinsilencethehumofinsectsandthedistantsongofonebird。ThenSundayspoke,butsodreamilythathemighthavebeencontinuingaconversationratherthanbeginningone。

  \"Wewilleatanddrinklater,\"hesaid。\"Letusremaintogetheralittle,wewhohavelovedeachothersosadly,andhavefoughtsolong。Iseemtorememberonlycenturiesofheroicwar,inwhichyouwerealwaysheroes——epiconepic,iliadoniliad,andyoualwaysbrothersinarms。Whetheritwasbutrecently(fortimeisnothing),oratthebeginningoftheworld,Isentyououttowar。Isatinthedarkness,wherethereisnotanycreatedthing,andtoyouIwasonlyavoicecommandingvalourandanunnaturalvirtue。Youheardthevoiceinthedark,andyouneverhearditagain。Thesuninheavendeniedit,theearthandskydeniedit,allhumanwisdomdeniedit。AndwhenImetyouinthedaylightI

  denieditmyself。\"

  Symestirredsharplyinhisseat,butotherwisetherewassilence,andtheincomprehensiblewenton。

  \"Butyouweremen。Youdidnotforgetyoursecrethonour,thoughthewholecosmosturnedanengineoftorturetotearitoutofyou。Iknewhownearyouweretohell。Iknowhowyou,Thursday,crossedswordswithKingSatan,andhowyou,Wednesday,namedmeinthehourwithouthope。\"

  Therewascompletesilenceinthestarlitgarden,andthentheblack—browedSecretary,implacable,turnedinhischairtowardsSunday,andsaidinaharshvoice——

  \"Whoandwhatareyou?\"

  \"IamtheSabbath,\"saidtheotherwithoutmoving。\"IamthepeaceofGod。\"

  TheSecretarystartedup,andstoodcrushinghiscostlyrobeinhishand。

  \"Iknowwhatyoumean,\"hecried,\"anditisexactlythatthatI

  cannotforgiveyou。Iknowyouarecontentment,optimism,whatdotheycallthething,anultimatereconciliation。Well,Iamnotreconciled。Ifyouwerethemaninthedarkroom,whywereyoualsoSunday,anoffensetothesunlight?Ifyouwerefromthefirstourfatherandourfriend,whywereyoualsoourgreatestenemy?Wewept,wefledinterror;theironenteredintooursouls——andyouarethepeaceofGod!Oh,IcanforgiveGodHisanger,thoughitdestroyednations;butIcannotforgiveHimHispeace。\"

  Sundayanswerednotaword,butveryslowlyheturnedhisfaceofstoneuponSymeasifaskingaquestion。

  \"No,\"saidSyme,\"Idonotfeelfiercelikethat。Iamgratefultoyou,notonlyforwineandhospitalityhere,butformanyafinescamperandfreefight。ButIshouldliketoknow。Mysoulandheartareashappyandquiethereasthisoldgarden,butmyreasonisstillcryingout。Ishouldliketoknow。\"

  SundaylookedatRatcliffe,whoseclearvoicesaid——

  \"Itseemssosillythatyoushouldhavebeenonbothsidesandfoughtyourself。\"

  Bullsaid——

  \"lunderstandnothing,butIamhappy。Infact,Iamgoingtosleep。\"

  \"Iamnothappy,\"saidtheProfessorwithhisheadinhishands,\"becauseIdonotunderstand。Youletmestrayalittletooneartohell。\"

  AndthenGogolsaid,withtheabsolutesimplicityofachild——

  \"IwishIknewwhyIwashurtsomuch。\"

  StillSundaysaidnothing,butonlysatwithhismightychinuponhishand,andgazedatthedistance。Thenatlasthesaid——

  \"Ihaveheardyourcomplaintsinorder。Andhere,Ithink,comesanothertocomplain,andwewillhearhimalso。\"

  Thefallingfireinthegreatcressetthrewalastlonggleam,likeabarofburninggold,acrossthedimgrass。Againstthisfierybandwasoutlinedinutterblacktheadvancinglegsofablack—cladfigure。Heseemedtohaveafineclosesuitwithknee—breechessuchasthatwhichwaswornbytheservantsofthehouse,onlythatitwasnotblue,butofthisabsolutesable。Hehad,liketheservants,akindofwordbyhisside。Itwasonlywhenhehadcomequiteclosetothecrescentofthesevenandflunguphisfacetolookatthem,thatSymesaw,withthunder—struckclearness,thatthefacewasthebroad,almostape—likefaceofhisoldfriendGregory,withitsrankredhairanditsinsultingsmile。

  \"Gregory!\"gaspedSyme,half—risingfromhisseat。\"Why,thisistherealanarchist!\"

  \"Yes,\"saidGregory,withagreatanddangerousrestraint,\"Iamtherealanarchist。\"

  \"’Nowtherewasaday,’\"murmuredBull,whoseemedreallytohavefallenasleep,\"’whenthesonsofGodcametopresentthemselvesbeforetheLord,andSatancamealsoamongthem。’\"

  \"Youareright,\"saidGregory,andgazedallround。\"Iamadestroyer。IwoulddestroytheworldifIcould。\"

  AsenseofapathosfarundertheearthstirredupinSyme,andhespokebrokenlyandwithoutsequence。

  \"Oh,mostunhappyman,\"hecried,\"trytobehappy!Youhaveredhairlikeyoursister。\"

  \"Myredhair,likeredflames,shallburnuptheworld,\"saidGregory。\"IthoughtIhatedeverythingmorethancommonmencanhateanything;butIfindthatIdonothateeverythingsomuchasIhateyou!\"

  \"Ineverhatedyou,\"saidSymeverysadly。

  Thenoutofthisunintelligiblecreaturethelastthundersbroke。

  \"You!\"hecried。\"Youneverhatedbecauseyouneverlived。Iknowwhatyouareallofyou,fromfirsttolast——youarethepeopleinpower!Youarethepolice——thegreatfat,smilingmeninblueandbuttons!YouaretheLaw,andyouhaveneverbeenbroken。Butisthereafreesoulalivethatdoesnotlongtobreakyou,onlybecauseyouhaveneverbeenbroken?WeinrevolttalkallkindofnonsensedoubtlessaboutthiscrimeorthatcrimeoftheGovernment。Itisallfolly!TheonlycrimeoftheGovernmentisthatitgoverns。Theunpardonablesinofthesupremepoweristhatitissupreme。Idonotcurseyouforbeingcruel。Idonotcurseyou(thoughImight)forbeingkind。Icurseyouforbeingsafe!Yousitinyourchairsofstone,andhavenevercomedownfromthem。Youarethesevenangelsofheaven,andyouhavehadnotroubles。Oh,Icouldforgiveyoueverything,youthatruleallmankind,ifIcouldfeelforoncethatyouhadsufferedforonehourarealagonysuchasI——\"

  Symesprangtohisfeet,shakingfromheadtofoot。

  \"Iseeeverything,\"hecried,\"everythingthatthereis。Whydoeseachthingontheearthwaragainsteachotherthing?Whydoeseachsmallthingintheworldhavetofightagainsttheworlditself?Whydoesaflyhavetofightthewholeuniverse?Whydoesadandelionhavetofightthewholeuniverse?ForthesamereasonthatIhadtobealoneinthedreadfulCounciloftheDays。Sothateachthingthatobeyslawmayhavethegloryandisolationoftheanarchist。Sothateachmanfightingforordermaybeasbraveandgoodamanasthedynamiter。SothatthereallieofSatanmaybeflungbackinthefaceofthisblasphemer,sothatbytearsandtorturewemayearntherighttosaytothisman,’Youlie!’Noagoniescanbetoogreattobuytherighttosaytothisaccuser,’Wealsohavesuffered。’

  \"Itisnottruethatwehaveneverbeenbroken。Wehavebeenbrokenuponthewheel。Itisnottruethatwehaveneverdescendedfromthesethrones。Wehavedescendedintohell。Wewerecomplainingofunforgettablemiseriesevenattheverymomentwhenthismanenteredinsolentlytoaccuseusofhappiness。Irepeltheslander;

  wehavenotbeenhappy。IcananswerforeveryoneofthegreatguardsofLawwhomhehasaccused。Atleast——\"

  HehadturnedhiseyessoastoseesuddenlythegreatfaceofSunday,whichworeastrangesmile。

  \"Haveyou,\"hecriedinadreadfulvoice,\"haveyoueversuffered?\"

  Ashegazed,thegreatfacegrewtoanawfulsize,grewlargerthanthecolossalmaskofMemnon,whichhadmadehimscreamasachild。

  Itgrewlargerandlarger,fillingthewholesky;theneverythingwentblack。Onlyintheblacknessbeforeitentirelydestroyedhisbrainheseemedtohearadistantvoicesayingacommonplacetextthathehadheardsomewhere,\"CanyedrinkofthecupthatIdrinkof?\"

  ***

  Whenmeninbooksawakefromavision,theycommonlyfindthemselvesinsomeplaceinwhichtheymighthavefallenasleep;

  theyyawninachair,orliftthemselveswithbruisedlimbsfromafield。Syme’sexperiencewassomethingmuchmorepsychologicallystrangeiftherewasindeedanythingunreal,intheearthlysense,aboutthethingshehadgonethrough。ForwhilehecouldalwaysrememberafterwardsthathehadswoonedbeforethefaceofSunday,hecouldnotrememberhavingevercometoatall。Hecouldonlyrememberthatgraduallyandnaturallyheknewthathewasandhadbeenwalkingalongacountrylanewithaneasyandconversationalcompanion。Thatcompanionhadbeenapartofhisrecentdrama;itwasthered—hairedpoetGregory。Theywerewalkinglikeoldfriends,andwereinthemiddleofaconversationaboutsometriviality。ButSymecouldonlyfeelanunnaturalbuoyancyinhisbodyandacrystalsimplicityinhismindthatseemedtobesuperiortoeverythingthathesaidordid。Hefelthewasinpossessionofsomeimpossiblegoodnews,whichmadeeveryotherthingatriviality,butanadorabletriviality。

  Dawnwasbreakingovereverythingincoloursatonceclearandtimid;asifNaturemadeafirstattemptatyellowandafirstattemptatrose。Abreezeblewsocleanandsweet,thatonecouldnotthinkthatitblewfromthesky;itblewratherthroughsomeholeinthesky。Symefeltasimplesurprisewhenhesawrisingallroundhimonbothsidesoftheroadthered,irregularbuildingsofSaffronPark。HehadnoideathathehadwalkedsonearLondon。Hewalkedbyinstinctalongonewhiteroad,onwhichearlybirdshoppedandsang,andfoundhimselfoutsideafencedgarden。TherehesawthesisterofGregory,thegirlwiththegold—redhair,cuttinglilacbeforebreakfast,withthegreatunconsciousgravityofagirl。

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